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From: Ann Packman
Date: 10/21/03
Time: 1:03:30 AM
Remote Name: 129.78.64.100
You have described an interesting and rather complex situation. First of all, I think you need to determine whether the child is actually stuttering. If it is a borderline case, which would seem to be the situation since others have not noticed a problem, you could get the opinion of another SLP. Then, if you decide the child is indeed stuttering, you would need to determine as best as possible when it started. This will help you decide whether to wait for some period, to see if natural recovery occurs, before introducing the Lidcombe Program. Incidentally, teaching different ways of talking, whether with puppets or in any other way, is not part of the Lidcombe Program. In addition, I should say that Lidcombe practitioners do not recommend implementing the Program concurrently with treatment for other communication disorders. Thus, it may be advisable to suspend other therapy for the duration of Stage 1 of the Program, if you decide to implement it. But I will conclude by saying again that all children and families are different and individual circumstances need to be taken into account—in addition to evidence—when deciding when to intervene with early stuttering.